Comfortably Numb
by PerdyPoppins
Summary: Lucas Scott is pulled into the complicated world of Brooke Davis when he walks in on her in a compromising situation. (AU)
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Comfortably Numb

 **Summary:** A/U Lucas is pulled into Brooke's world after he walks in on her in a compromising situation.

 **Pairing:** Lucas/Brooke. Nathan/Haley.

 **Notes:** 1\. I'm using creative license with ages and some of the history. 2. This is just the prologue - other chapters will be longer. 3. This is un-beta'd so all spelling and grammar mistakes are mine. 4, The title from this story is taken from the Pink Floyd song of the same name _._

 **Disclaimer:** The characters and premise of One Tree Hill do not belong to me - they are the property of Mark Schwahn and The CW.

 _Harper Lee wrote; "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."_

 **Comfortably Numb**

Tree Hill, North Caroline population; who knows and honestly who really cares. It was a town like many in suburban America, it had one High School, a Main Street, a mall on the outskirts of town and hundreds on teenagers all trying to figure out their place in the world and discover what kind of adult they wanted to become.

Brooke Penelope Davis was just one of them. 5 foot 4, hazel eyes, brunette shoulder length hair, a magnetic smile and matching dimples. At 16 years 3 months and 11 days old she was one of the most popular girls in Tree Hill; really giving life to that old cliché about being the girl that every guy wanted and every girl wanted to be.

Born on March 4th 1989 to Robert and Victoria Davis she was the only child of one of Tree Hill's most influential power couples. Her parents however seemed to like the idea of having a child more than the reality. Leaving Brooke to be raised by a succession of Nannies, until the age of 14 when they decided she was old enough to be left alone. After that she was raised by credit cards and the occasional whistle stop visit from her parents.

To the outside world Brooke Davis had it all; money, popularity, beauty, charisma and no one ever telling her what to do. But the thing that they didn't know about Brooke Davis was she didn't really care about that, in fact she would give it all up in a second to have someone that cared. Parents that worried and friends that she trusted enough to let in, but somehow, somewhere along the way Brooke Davis had surrounded herself with superficial relationships, pushing away anyone that tried to get below the surface to the reality of the girl behind the hazel eyes and dimpled smile.

Which is how she had found herself right here in this very moment; sat before a doctor she had met just mere minutes ago as he carefully explained how her life as she knew it was over.

Then you had Lucas Scott. 6 foot exactly, blonde hair, blue eyes and a shy almost brooding smile that was rarely seen. At 17 years, 3 weeks and 5 days old he was one of the oldest in his year. He was born on May the 20th 1988 to Dan Scott and Karen Roe. Abandoned by his father before he was even born Lucas was raised by his mother. His mother was just a little bit older than he was now when he was born. Karen was a fiercely independent woman, who never wanted her son to feel like he was not good enough.

Making the most of what she had she saved everything she had to open up her own cafe, right in the heart of Tree Hill, she raised Lucas to know right from wrong, he was given boundaries and curfews, she had expectations and dreams for him. Dreams that he would be able to achieve whatever his heart desired.

If you asked him Lucas Scott would tell you that he was content with what he had, he had a loving mother, a best friend that he had grown up with in Haley James, he liked to study and when he wasn't at school or helping his mom in the cafe he could usually be found on the River Court shooting hoops with his friends or on the roof of Karen's Cafe reading a book.

The truth however Lucas kept close to his chest, he would never tell anyone how in the silence he was continuously plagued by that what ifs, that he couldn't help wonder why his father refused to be a part of his life. Instead he kept an air of indifference whenever the man was mentioned, choosing to avoid all contact with his father, stepmother and half brother Nathan Scott.

Until he found himself stood on the River Court, basket ball in hand, toe to toe with the half brother he barely knew as they battled for control, neither one of them willing to back down.

To the outside world Brooke Davis and Lucas Scott were polar opposites. Two teenagers living in the same time, attending the same school whose paths had yet to meet. What they didn't know as the sun rose on a warn day in June was all that was about to change. Brooke Davis and Lucas Scott's lives were about to become entwined in a way that no one ever would have predicted.


	2. Chapter 2

_Donald Hicks wrote ; "At the heart of all anger, all grudges and all resentment, you'll always find a fear that hopes to stay anonymous."_

1.

Breaking into a run Lucas Scott finally caught up with his best friend of 12 years Haley James. "Hales? Did you not hear me calling you?"

Frowning Haley took her ear phones out. "Sorry what did you say?" she asked with a mouthful of croissant.

"Classy Hales, real classy," Lucas chuckled waiting for her to finish her breakfast. "Late start?"

"Something like that," Haley sighed, as she approached her locker, keeping only the books she needed for first period in her bag before putting the rest away. "My parents are out of town so Taylor thought it would be a good idea to have half the school over for a slumber party, only I'm pretty sure there was not very much sleeping going on, just really loud music and even louder girls."

Looping his arm around her shoulder Lucas led her towards their first lesson. "So no beauty-sleep for you last night then?"

"Nope," Haley yawned, as if to emphasize her point.

"When are your parents back?" Lucas asked as they sat down at their usual desks.

Lying her head down on the table Haley closed her eyes for just a second. "This evening, hopefully then some order will be restored."

"Order? In the James household? Sorry to burst your bubble Hales but yours is the most charmingly chaotic household around," Lucas pointed out.

Haley looked up at him, her eyes shadowed with the lack of sleep. "Yeah well at least there will not be 20 girls using my grandmother's lamp for pole dancing until 5am."

Lucas looked up just in time to see Brooke Davis enter the room, the rest of the cheerleaders practically yapping at her heels as she ignored them, seemingly deep in conversation with the captain of the Ravens and his estranged half-brother Nathan Scott.

"What's going on with you B?" Nathan asked, concern evident in his voice as he watched Brooke practically fall into her chair before slumping down.

"Nothing," Brooke lied, taking out her books.

Nathan studied the cheerleader carefully her posture had an almost defeated look about it, and she had practically crawled into the classroom as if trying to avoid attention, which was something he had never seen Brooke Davies do. She was one of those rare people that was actually a morning person, usually she would practically skip into the class, holding 5 conversations at once without ever missing a beat.

Nathan shook his head, it had been a long time since Brooke had confided in him about anything personal, and whilst deep down he knew he had no one but himself to blame it still hurt. "If you say so."

"Looks like Taylor and her friends were not the only ones partying all night," Lucas observed with raised eyebrows as he nodded his head in the direction of Brooke. "Looks to me like someone is nursing a pretty bad hangover this morning."

Haley followed his gaze to where the brunette sat massaging the back of her neck as she ignored everyone around her. "Wow. Brooke Davis looking less than perfect, who would have though it?"

"What was that about Brooke?" Peyton Sawyer asked, sitting down in the empty seat next to her.

"Er, nothing," Haley mumbled, knowing that just a few months back Peyton and Brooke had been virtually inseparable until a falling out that many liked to describe as 'epic' led to the best friends parting ways and Peyton being forced to the outside of the popular circle.

Peyton glared in the direction of her former best friend. "God she looks rough."

"That's not what I said," Haley stammered, fearful that anything she said might make its way back to Brooke if she and Peyton ever began talking again. Besides it wasn't like Haley had anything against the head cheerleader Brooke had never been anything but polite and friendly to her, it was Brooke's followers she feared, and the rest of the squad was fiercely protective of their leader sometimes to an almost rabid level.

"No. It's what I said," Peyton pointed out.

Haley was about to respond when she was saved by bell, as the last of the students made their way to empty desks. "Alright. Time to settle down and focus," Mr Henry their history teacher began as he took his place at the front of the class. "Now as I'm sure you're all aware the time you have been waiting for has finally arrived. The great history assignment of 2005."

A series of groans echoed around the classroom like a Mexican wave of disapproval as the students began to chatter amongst themselves, making their displeasure known.

"Quiet," Mr Henry warned. "Now in this very stylish hat I have the name of each and every one of you. I'm going to pick names out in pairs and that is who you will be working with over the next 6 weeks, now I want no arguments, you will stick with what you are given. Once you are in your pairs I will then hand you all an assignment outline.

"Marvin McFadden and Peyton Sawyer."

Looking behind her Peyton nodded at her new partner, mildly relieved not to be partnered with a cheerleader or jock, although secretly she had been hoping that she would be spending the next 6 weeks studying with Lucas Scott.

"Rachel Gattina and Jake Jagielski."

Shrugging towards her friends Rachel headed over towards the River Court basketball player, pulling her chair over with her before straddling it.

"Haley James and Nathan Scott."

Haley's eyes widened in alarm as she heard Mr Henry decide her fate for the foreseeable future. "Seriously," she muttered under her breath.

"Look like you and I are going to be spending 6 weeks getting up close and personal," Nathan whispered, but making sure that Lucas could still hear.

Lucas was so lost in his anger that Haley was going to have to spend the next 6 weeks doing the assignment with Nathan that he hadn't heard the rest of the names being called out, only realizing it was over when he saw everyone starting to get their outline.

"What? Who ... I ..." Lucas stammered looking around in confusion.

Pushing his chair back to go and ask Mr Henry who his partner was Lucas knocked it straight into Brooke, sending her flying on top of the desk behind her with a loud grunt causing Peyton to laugh and Nathan to slide himself in between Brooke and Lucas.

"You'd better watch it," Nathan warned, before turning around to make sure Brooke was alright.

Letting Nathan help her to her feet Brooke wrapped her arms around herself as her ribs protested the sudden movement. "Down boy," she warned Nathan, slightly amused by his guard dog type behavior. "I'm fine."

"Maybe we should take you to the nurse," Nathan suggested, not liking the way she was holding her ribs.

Peyton let out a low, bitter laugh. "Poor little, helpless Brooke, breaks a nail and the whole school has to come to a standstill to make sure she's ok."

"Shut up Peyton," Nathan hissed, his anger multiplied by the fact he still blamed her for his estrangement from Brooke.

"Nate. I'm fine, honest," Brooke once again tried to reassure him. "It was an accident, I should have been looking were I was going so please do not start going all Karate Kid on me. Ok?"

Nathan could see the pleading look in her eyes, as she silently asked him not to make any more fuss than was already being made. "Ok," Nathan agreed.

"Well this partnership is off to a great start already," Brooke joked, turning her attention towards Lucas as she held up the assignment.

Lucas felt like he had been punched in the chest. "You're my partner?"

"Unless there's another Lucas Scott hiding under one of the desks then yes, I'm your partner," Brooke deadpanned.

"Right, partner, assignment, history, you, me," Lucas mumbled, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that he was going to be spending the next 6 weeks working closely with the girl who he had been infatuated by for the past 3 years.

Rolling he eyes Brooke pushed herself up to sit on the desk. "Well this is getting off to a great start; first you knock me off my feet now you seem to have forgotten how to talk. You do know that 50% of the mark for this is an oral presentation right?"

"Sorry," Lucas apologized. "For the knocking and the stammering."

"It's cool," Brooke shrugged, jumping down off the desk as she handed him his copy of the assignment outline. "So your place or mine? Actually perhaps we should make it your place, Mother Dearest has decided it was time to renovate the whole downstairs area so my place is currently a loud, overcrowded building site."

Haley couldn't help but interrupt. "Or you could meet at Karen's Cafe like Nathan and I, we may even be able to talk your mom into providing free study snacks."

"Great," Brooke agreed. "See you there after school," she confirmed as she grabbed her bag ready to leave.

Lucas watched her head towards the door. "But we still have the rest of this period to get started? We could maybe go to the library or the computer-"

"It's great that you're so enthusiastic about researching," looking down at her assignment outline Brooke frowned. "Marie Curie but I have places to go and people to see so ... later, Karen's Cafe."

"You can't just skip class," Lucas replied, realizing how pathetic he sounded the minute the words were out of his mouth, he and Brooke had barely shared 10 words with each other before and here he was telling her what she can and can't do.

Reaching into the pocket of her denim jacket Brooke held up a small, yellow card. "Those of us with passes can," she explained with a dimpled smile before heading through the door and out of sight.

"Smooth Luke, real, real smooth," Haley teased, being the only person to known about Lucas's crush on the brunette cheerleader.

Unable to move Lucas stood staring at the door, wondering if the last 10 minutes had been some weird nightmare or twisted dream that his subconscious had cooked up to confuse him. "Did that really just happen?"

"You mean did you really just knock Brooke Davis over with your chair, anger Nathan Scott before turning into some hall monitor and giving out orders to people you barely know? Then yes, that really did just happen," Haley laughed, making her way over to Nathan to finalize their plans.

"I'm working with Brooke Davis," Lucas muttered under his breath not realizing that Peyton was stood just inches away.

Scoffing Peyton shook her head, realizing that she was yet to meet a single guy that was immune to the charm's of her ex-best friend. "I'd watch out if I were you."

"What?" Lucas questioned, turning to face the curly-haired, blonde.

"Brooke. Just a quiet word of warning; watch yourself around her, you know what they say about an armadillo? Hard on the outside soft on the inside? Well Brooke Davis is like the opposite of an armadillo all soft and sweet on the outside but on the inside ... she'll chew you up and spit you out without even giving it a second thought," Peyton warned before heading over to Mr Henry to ask if she could go to the library.

Lucas sat down at his desk. "Opposite of an armadillo," he repeated to himself, trying to make sense of the exchange he had just had with Peyton.

A few months ago he doubted that Peyton Sawyer even knew his name. She was Brooke's best friend and as far as Lucas could recall had been since kindergarten, of course he had heard the rumors about their falling out, the whispers about how it all had something to do with his half-brother, but still he didn't understand how she could be so bitter towards someone that she had spent a decade of her life growing up with.

"Where did you go?" Haley asked, sitting back down at her desk.

"Nowhere," Lucas breathed. "I've been here all along."

Haley raised her eyebrows towards him. "Maybe physically ... but your mind sure was somewhere else."

"I just had the weirdest conversation, if you can even call it that," Lucas recalled.

"With Brooke, I know, I was there," Haley reminded him.

Lucas shook his head. "No not Brooke. Peyton."

"Ah the ex BFF," Haley sung. "What did blonde and angry have to say?"

Lucas lips twitched into a half-smile at Haley's description. "She pretty much warned me to keep my head around Brooke, something about armadillos, opposites, chewing and spitting out."

"Are you high?" Haley wondered.

"No," Lucas laughed. "But this sure has been one of the weirdest hours of my High School experience yet."

Haley moved her chair closer to her friend, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "Welcome to the world of cheerleaders, basketball players, popular kids, rich kids, the beautiful and the damaged ... or as I like to call it The Lion's Den."

"It's going to be an interesting 6 weeks," Lucas agreed as the bell rang, signalling that it was time for the students to get to their next lesson.

"Don't forget I expect your progress report to be filled in weekly, I will be choosing one pair at random to submit every week," Mr Henry called after his departing students, before sitting down at his desk and locating his lesson plan for next period.

Outside Haley leaned against the locker next to Lucas. "You have a free next right?"

"Yeah," Lucas nodded.

"Any plans?" Haley asked. "Only I was wondering if you fancied heading to the library? We could check out some books for the assignment because I very much doubt Nathan and Brooke will bring anything with them."

Lucas considered her suggestion for a second before shaking his head. "I was going to go to the computer lab, print some stuff off there."

"Ok, I'll come with," Haley offered, swinging her bag over her shoulder and pushing herself off the locker.

Lucas followed her down the hall. "Was Brooke at this get together of Taylor's last night?"

"Nope," Haley said, the word practically popping out of her mouth. "Different year. Different clique. Why?"

"No reason," Lucas shrugged.

Haley shook her head in an amused manner. "You have got it bad."

"I should ring my mom, let her know that we'll all be congregating there after school," Lucas said, swiftly changing the subject.

"Nice avoidance there Luke," Haley teased. "But don't forget to drop very big hints about how good snacks are for the brain, especially blueberry muffins, I mean there's been studies done on the subject and everything," she concluded as Lucas stepped into an empty classroom to use his phone.

Stepping into the classroom Lucas closed the door behind him with a bang, spinning around as he heard a gasp before something dropped to the floor. Squinting in the direction of the sound he was shocked to find the one and only Brooke Davis, watching as she practically jumped from her seat, scrambling down onto the floor looking for whatever it was she had dropped.

Taking quick strides Lucas dropped his bag to the floor, crouching down to help her. "What did you drop?"

"Nothing," Brooke stammered. "Well nothing important anyone," she lied her eyes darting nervously around as they landed on the fallen object just inches from Lucas.

Lucas followed her gaze, his eyes widening in alarm as he saw what it was that had the brunette so on edge. "Oh my God. Brooke is that a needle?"

Brooke reached out and picked up the long, thin syringe. "It's none of your business is what it is," she hissed at him, placing a cap over the sharp edge before putting it inside what looked like a make-up bag.

"You can't just expect me to forget what I saw," Lucas reasoned, watching as she tried to open her bag with shaking hands.

Brooke sat back down in the seat, her eyes glaring up at him. "I don't know what you think you saw but-"

"It's not what I think I saw it's what I know I saw," Lucas said, not giving her a chance to finish. "And that was you hiding in a classroom with a needle."

Standing up Brooke made to leave. "Anyone hears about this and I'll know where they got it from. Understand?"

"Brooke. Please, look I'm sorry about how I reacted but put yourself in my shoes, if you had walked in on what I did you would have reacted exactly the same way," Lucas reasoned.

Brooke turned to face him. "No I would not have. Because unlike everybody else in this narrow minded school I realize that things are not always as simple as they seem."

"Look I know that you don't know me but I can help, I mean there are treatment programs and support groups, you're 16 Brooke if you keep injecting that stuff into your body then-"

"You think I'm a drug addict? Great ... just great, Dan Scott's bastard son and social pariah thinks I'm a drug addict ... You know Lucas ... actually never mind, I don't owe you anything," Brooke sighed as she lifted her bag onto her shoulder before heading out, making sure to slam the door loudly behind her.

Lucas winced as the door was slammed with so much power it made the ground shake. "Weirdest. Morning. Ever," he mumbled to himself as he pulled out his phone and left a message at the cafe for his mother.

Haley frowned as her best friend sat down next to her, his face pale and his eyes wide. "You look like you've just seen a ghost?"

"A ghost would make more sense," Lucas whispered.

"Yeah than you," Haley pointed out. "Because right now Lucas Scott you're making absolutely no sense."

Lucas looked around, making sure they were alone before turning to face his best friend. "Do you think everything happens for a reason?"

"Er Luke I might have been joking earlier when I asked if you were high but now ... are you high?" Haley asked, puzzled by his strange behavior.

"No. Hales I'm being serious here, like do you believe sometimes we are meant to see something that someone didn't want us to see? Something that no one was supposed to see so that we can help that person with the something that they didn't want us to see?" Lucas cryptically explained, not sure why he was feeling so protective over Brooke's privacy when just moments earlier she had called him a bastard.

But something about the look in her eyes and the way she was behaving told him that this was much bigger than he could possibly imagine.

"Luke if you need my help you're going to need to spell it out for me? You know I've never been good at the cryptic crossword clues, that's always been more your mom's thing," Haley sighed.

"Never mind," Lucas sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair as he tried to figure out his next move. When he had woken up this morning he hadn't imagined that before lunch his life would have become so complicated. But then in walked a broken girl with hazel eyes and a dimpled smile hiding a secret from the rest of the world.

A secret that would turn more than one life upside down over the coming months.


	3. Chapter 3

2.

As the bell rang signalling the end of the school day Lucas breathed a heavy sigh of relief, today had been the longest and strangest day that he had ever encountered at Tree Hill High and that was saying something.

"Did Brooke say that she was coming straight after school?" Haley asked as they headed outside into the fresh air.

"I think so," Lucas replied. "That's if she turns up at all," he added under his breath, thinking back to what he had seen earlier. After the way Brooke had reacted he couldn't help but fear that she would avoid him at all costs from now on.

Haley narrowed her eyes at him. "What makes you think that she won't show?"

"Brooke Davis and school work ... even just saying it sounds wrong," Lucas hedged, not wanting to explain the truth to Haley, at least not right now when he was so unclear on the facts himself.

"Actually Brooke has one of the highest GPA's in the school," Marvin 'Mouth' McFadden said as he came up behind the pair before falling in line with them.

Haley didn't even try to hide her surprise. "No way? Brooke Davis?"

"Really," Mouth nodded. "I think it's even higher than yours."

"Who did she sleep with for that?" Haley whistled, regretting it the minute the words had left her mouth.

Lucas stopped, turning to face his best friend not even bothering to hide his disappointment. "Wow Hales, when did you turn into such a judgemental bitch who believes everything she hears."

"I know. I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that, I shouldn't have even thought it," Haley admitted.

"Have you ever even spent more than a few minutes talking to her?" Mouth asked, suddenly feeling fiercely protective of his friend.

Haley shook her head. "No. Have you?"

"Yeah," Mouth admitted. "In fact recently Brooke and I have been spending quite a lot of time together outside of school."

Now it was Lucas's turn to be surprised. "Really? You and Brooke Davis?"

"It's not like that," Mouth said, knowing exactly what Lucas was thinking; what would a girl like Brooke Davis want with a guy like him. "Brooke and I are friends. We go to the same ... she needed someone to talk to ... I was there ... and over time we became friends, you know she's a lot different than people think, the Brooke you all see that's just one part of her ... but the Brooke I see ... just don't judge a book by its cover yeah?"

"Hey Mouth are we still meeting up later?" Peyton shouted, running to catch up with the trio.

Mouth nodded. "Yeah. Your place in an hour?"

"Actually my dad just called, he has some friends coming round for a poker game so my place might not be the quietest, they can get pretty rowdy," Peyton laughed.

"The rest of us are meeting at Karen's Cafe, you could come too, kind of like a study group?" Haley suggested her excitement at the idea obvious in her tone.

Peyton nodded, her wild curls bouncing. "Sounds good. Mouth?"

"I'm in," Mouth agreed.

"I can take us all in my car," Peyton offered. "It's just over there," she said, pointing to the far end of the car park.

Haley followed Peyton. "Awesome."

"I have my bike," Mouth sighed. "I'll meet you there."

"I'm going to walk," Lucas added.

Haley turned to face her friend. "You're turning down a free ride?"

"I just need to clear my head," Lucas shrugged. "It's been an odd day."

Once the girls had left Lucas quickened his pace until he had caught up with Mouth. "Hey Mouth have you got a sec?"

"Sure," Mouth nodded stopping by his bike.

"So how long have you and Brooke Davis been hanging out?" Lucas asked, getting straight to the point.

Mouth narrowed his gaze. "Why the sudden interest in Brooke?"

"I ... Er ... I was just wondering that's all, I mean you've never mentioned her before," Lucas lied, even though he knew that Mouth was one of the most trustworthy people around he wasn't ready to let anyone in on what he saw.

Mouth considered his options carefully before speaking. "About 6 months."

"Right that's-"

Mouth unlocked his bike. "Look Luke if you have something you want to ask me then go ahead otherwise we have a study group to get to."

"Is there something going on with Brooke? Something ... that she doesn't want anyone else to know?" Lucas asked.

"If there was something going on, something she doesn't want anyone to know what makes you think I would tell you?" Mouth frowned.

Lucas looked down at the ground. "I don't know," he admitted. "It's just ... I saw something today and ... I'm worried ... I want to try and help her but I don't know how."

"Well maybe if you told me what you saw I could help?" Mouth suggested.

"I can't," Lucas breathed, the weight of what he had seen playing heavily on his conscious.

Mouth could see that his friend was struggling with something. "If you can't tell me then you have to talk to her, it's the only other way you'll be able to get any answers. But Lucas ... go easy on her yeah? Brooke is going through some really heavy stuff right now. I can't tell you anymore than that but ... if she lets you in ... don't let her down ... she's had too many people give up on her already."

As Lucas took in what Mouth was saying he nodded, knowing that no words were needed. "I'll see you at the cafe yeah?"

"Yeah," Mouth agreed as he pulled on his helmet and pedalled out of the car park.

Watching his friend go Lucas looked around, stopping as he watched the familiar blue car pull up alongside him. "Need a lift?" Brooke asked.

"Sure," Lucas agreed getting into the passenger's side, after their earlier confrontation Lucas had assumed that Brooke would avoid him, instead here she was offering him a lift.

A heavy silence hung over them until finally Brooke couldn't take it any longer. "I'm not a drug addict."

"Ok," Lucas nodded.

"Ok," Brooke repeated. "That's really all you have to say?"

Lucas turned to face her, watching as she chewed nervously on her bottom lip. "If you say you're not a drug addict then ok ... I believe you, like you said; I don't know you, I don't know anything about you which gives me no right to pass judgement on your life."

"Ok," Brooke agreed as silence once again filled the car.

As they climbed out of the car Lucas reached out and gently took Brooke's hand in his. "That can change though, if you want it to?"

"If I want what to change?" Brooke asked, genuinely confused.

"Us, not knowing each other," Lucas explained. "I'd like that to change. I'd like to get to know you Brooke Davis," he smiled.

Brooke studied him carefully, trying to figure out what his agenda might be. "Why? So you can find out all my deep, dark secrets?"

"No," Lucas replied. "We're going to be spending the next 6 weeks working together it makes sense ... besides if you ever need to talk I've been told I'm a pretty good listener," he added.

"We should go inside," Brooke said purposefully avoiding giving him an answer.

Lucas looked over her shoulder to inside the cafe where Haley, Nathan and Peyton all sat watching them. "Yeah we should."

"Brooke, Lucas wait up," Mouth called out breathlessly as he chained his bike outside.

"Hey," Brooke greeted, seeming genuinely pleased to see him.

Mouth looped his arm around her shoulders. "Hey. Where did you disappear to this afternoon?"

"Oh you know me Marvin; people to see, places to go," Brooke teased.

"And hearts to break," Mouth added with a wink.

Brooke leaned her head on his shoulder. "You got it."

As the trio entered the cafe Lucas sat down next to Haley, leaving an empty seat next to him and another one next to Peyton.

"Hey Peyton," Mouth smiled sitting down next to the blonde.

Brooke sent Mouth a grateful smile before sitting down next to Lucas, reaching into her bag she pulled out 2 large books and a folder. "So the library didn't have much but I found these 2 books and a few articles online," she explained, opening the folder and pulling them out.

"I found a biography," Lucas added pulling a few pages out of his bag.

"We should split up into our pairs," Mouth suggested. "Otherwise it's going to get really confusing seeing as how we are all working on different topics."

Lucas nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Pairs."

"But first snacks," Haley said as Karen walked over towards them.

"Hey Ma," Lucas greeted. "Thanks for doing this."

Placing a tray full of sandwiches, muffins and fruit down on the table Karen ruffled his hair. "You're welcome, can I get anyone a drink?"

"Coke."

"Juice."

"Coffee."

"Sprite."

"Diet soda."

Karen chuckled as 5 requests were thrown at her in one massive word jumble. "Anything for you?" she asked, directing her attention towards Brooke had had been the only one not to place an order.

"I'll just have a water please?" Brooke asked as Karen added the request to her list.

Once she had headed back to the counter everyone started to get stuck into the snacks as they began discussing what assignments they had been given.

"Martin Luther King Jr," Peyton read, placing her assignment down on the table.

"At least we won't have any trouble finding information on him," Mouth pointed out, knowing that there was practically a whole section of the library dedicated to the man.

Nathan frowned at the piece of paper in his hand. "Mother Theresa."

"Who did you get?" Haley asked, turning her attention towards Lucas.

"Marie Curie," Lucas replied.

Peyton looked down at the assignment. "Martin Luther King Jr, Marie Curie and Mother Theresa ... this assignment sure is random."

"Not really," Brooke shrugged her voice barely audible.

Everyone turned to look at Brooke who until then had barely said a word. "Really?" Haley wondered.

"They're all Nobel Prize winners," Brooke explained. "Martin Luther King won the Nobel Peace Prize as did Mother Theresa and Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize twice in physics and chemistry for her pioneering work with radiation," she finished, stunning the group into silence.

Mouth couldn't help but smirk proudly. "Show off."

"They're interesting people," Brooke breathed as Karen arrived with the drinks.

A series of thanks were exchanged as Karen once again headed back behind the counter leaving the 6 teenagers to divide off into their pairs.

"You doing ok?" Mouth asked quietly, pulling Brooke off to the side so no one else could hear their conversation.

"I-"

"You barely touched the food," Mouth pointed out, cutting her off before she had a chance to reply with her usual insistence that she was fine. "And you barely attended any of your lessons."

Brooke looked up, seeing nothing but worry in his eyes. "I'm just having a rough few days," she admitted. "I can't stop throwing up and I'm so tired all the time yet I can't seem to sleep." She sighed sadly.

"Want me to stay tonight?" Mouth offered. "We can have another slumber party?"

"I'd like the," Brooke smiled tiredly. "You're a good friend Mouth."

Mouth looked over to where Lucas stood watching them. "Did something happen with Lucas?"

"Why did he say something?" Brooke worried.

"Not exactly," Mouth began, not really sure who to explain his earlier conversation with the blonde basketball player. "He just seemed worried about you."

Brooke considered avoiding the question but as Mouth was the only person who knew everything that was going on with her she couldn't help but wonder if he might be able to help her find a way to deal with Lucas and throw him off the trail. "He saw something."

"Something being?" Mouth prodded, urging her to elaborate.

Brooke took a long, deep breath trying to dull the pounding in her head. "This morning the nurses office was shut, I was going to use the girls bathroom but there was a group of Seniors in there having a row so ... I found an empty classroom. Lucas walked in as I was injecting myself, I panicked and dropped my syringe ... he saw and ... now he has all these questions that I'm not ready to answer, especially not to someone I hardly even know."

"You can't blame him for being worried," Mouth said his heart breaking for everything his friend was dealing with right now. "What did you tell him."

"Nothing," Brooke whispered. "After he accused me of being a drug addict I kind of flipped and said some horrible things."

Mouth pulled her into a hug, not caring about how everyone was watching them, right now none of that mattered, all that mattered was Brooke and her frame of mine. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"He can't know," Brooke panicked.

"Brooke-"

Brooke pushed herself free from him. "No. Marvin you promised," she reminded him, the desperation she was feeling evident in her voice.

"I'm not going to tell him, I'll just-"

"This is such a mess," Brooke stuttered, realizing that there was no way she would be able to get Lucas off her back without telling him something and how do you explain to someone you barely know why you were hiding in a classroom injecting yourself without telling them the truth, a truth that you had worked so desperately to hide from people.

Mouth watched as she wiped tiredly at her eyes. "It's going to be ok Brooke. Lucas he's one of the genuine good guys, I'll talk to him, find a way to get him to back off without telling him the truth."

"Thank-you," Brooke breathed her voice barely quiet and uncertain. "I know this isn't what you signed up for when you walked into the centre that day but ... I'm glad you did, I don't know how I would cope without you," she admitted.

"Well you'll never have to find out," Mouth promised. "Because I don't plan on going anywhere. I'm here for you Brooke Davis, every step of the way."

Brooke reached out and took his hand in hers. "I love you Marvin McFadden."

"And I love you Brooke Davis," Mouth smiled.

Brooke could feel the stress of the day catching up with her. "Can you tell Lucas that I'm sorry but I had to go."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Mouth offered feeling her hand trembling in his.

"No," Brooke sighed. "You stay and get some work done. I'll see you later yeah?"

Mouth gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before letting her go. "I'll bring the ice cream."

Mouth watched as Lucas made to follow Brooke, stepping outside the cafe he grabbed hold of Lucas's shoulder, stopping him from getting any closer. "Let her go."

"But-"

"Let's take a walk," Mouth suggested as he realized that the others were inside the cafe watching them.

Lucas watched Brooke's car drive off. "Ok."

Once they were round the corner from the cafe Mouth began to speak. "Brooke told me what you saw."

"She did?" Lucas asked surprised that Mouth seemed so calm about it, after all he couldn't imagine he would be as calm if someone told them they saw Haley injecting herself in an empty classroom.

"Like I said earlier Brooke's my friend, she tells me stuff, stuff she doesn't tell anyone else," Mouth explained.

Lucas walked over to the bench and sat down. "She said it's not drugs."

"It's not," Mouth agreed.

"Then ... what was she doing?" Lucas wondered a million scenarios running through his head.

Mouth considered his next words carefully before speaking. "Brooke's been going through some stuff lately. I mean I'm sure you've heard the rumours about everything that happened with her, Nathan and Peyton well ... it all caught up with her, anyway to cut a long story short she was diagnosed with iron deficiency the injection was a supplement that has to take until her numbers are all back to normal, usually she'll go to the school nurse but the office was locked this morning."

"Why didn't she just say?" Lucas queried wondering why if it was something as innocent as that Brooke had reacted the way she did.

"Partly because she's too proud to admit to anyone that she's struggling and partly because she's fed up with people talking about her all the time. What happened with Nathan and Peyton nearly destroyed her, they were here best friends for nearly a decade and ... let's just leave it at that yeah?" Mouth pleaded needing Lucas to understand.

Lucas looked down at the ground. "I wouldn't have said anything. I'm not like that."

"I know that," Mouth reassured him. "But Brooke didn't, she doesn't know you like I do that's why I had to convince her to let me talk to you. It's hard for her to let people in Luke but I know that I can trust you with this ... trust that you will not tell anyone else what I just told you."

Lucas nodded. "It's not my secret to tell."

"Thank-you," Mouth said.

"Is she going to be alright?" Lucas worried.

Mouth swallowed heavily wanting to tell Lucas everything so then he would have someone else to carry the load with him but he had made a promise to Brooke, a promise that he had no intention of breaking. "Brooke's a lot tougher than people think."

"That's not an answer," Lucas pointed out.

"It's the only one I have right now," Mouth sadly admitted as he stood up and made his way back towards the cafe, leaving Lucas even more concerned than he was before.


End file.
